Heel and heel blank



April 17, 1956 R. H. GoLDBAuM HEEL AND HEEL BLANK v 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 26, 1953 Y W v MMM/WJ mw/Wo 6. w WMA f. my B April 17, 1956 R. H. GOLDBUM HEEL AND HEEL BLANK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1953 April 17, 1956 R, H, GOLDBAUM 2,741,858

HEEL AND HEEL BLANK Filed March 26, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 208,527 GOLDfl//M BY MMM ATTORNYS* United States Patent HEEL AND HEEL BLANK Robert H. Goldbaum, Haverhill, Mass., assignor to Richard Earle Goldbaum, Haverhiil, Mass.

Application March 26, 1953, Serial No. 344,697

17 Claims. (Cl. 36-34) 'Ihe present invention relates to heels and heel blanks, and moreV particularly to Wood heels and Wood-heel blanks.

In the manufactureof wood heels, it is customary to cut the heel blanks from a hard, relatively expensive lumber board of rectangular cross section. The height of the board'is usually slightly larger than the height of thesheel to be manufactured therefrom, and the width of the board is slightly greater than the width of the heelseat face of the heel. Heel blanks are formed from this board by cutting the board transversely along successively different angles, with alternate cuts disposed substantially parallel to each other, as described, for example, in United States Letters Patent No. l,677,822, issued July 27, 1928, to N. L. Gulliford. The heels are then shaped from the heel blanks. A good deal of the lumber is wasted in the shaping operation, however, inasmuch as the lower porticn of the ultimate heel is of much less width than the width of the heel blank.

An objectof the present invention is to provide a new and improved heel blank that shall reduce the waste in lumber attendant upon the use of heel blanks of this character. i

Another object is to provide a new and improved heel.

Still another object is to provide a novel laminated heel. In summary, the laminated heel of the present invention is constituted of main and auxiliary Wood strips extending from the tread face to the heel-seat face of the heel and secured together near the heel-seat face with auxiliary Wood-strip portions disposed symmetrically of the heel with respect to the main Wood strip and extending longitudinally of the heel between the breast and the oppositely disposed face of the heel. Heel blanks adapted for the manufacture of such a laminated heel are hereinafter described in detail. V

Other and further objects will be explained and will be more fully pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing,

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of which are perspective views illustrating three successive steps in the assembly and lamination of a main strip and auxiliary strips;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating the Cutting of heel blanks from the assembled laminated strips of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly cut away to show details, illustrating the kiln-drying of the heel blanks;

Fig. 6 is a bottom elevation illustrating a turning operation;

Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevations illustrating breasting and heel-seat concaving Operations;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a laminated heel constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are similar views of modified laminated heel blanks;

Fig. 13 is a similar view of a modfied laminated strip assembly; and

Pig. 14 is a side elevation, similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the cutting of the assembled laminated strips of Fig. 13 into heel blanks.

While the heel blanks and heels of the present invention may be formed in any desired manner, it is believed conducive to explanation and understanding of the properties and advantages of the heel blanks and heels to describe them in connection with their assembly and formation.

A main strip 1, as of expensive hard Wood, having a t width between substantially parallel oppositely disposed planar side walls 3 and 5 slightly larger than the ultimate width of the tread face of the heel to be manufactured, is assembled with auxiliary wood strips 7 and 9, as of waste lurnber. The planar upper face 2 of the main strip 1 and the oppositely disposed bottom face are disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the side walls 3 and 5. The auxiliary strips 7 and 9 are preferably, though, as later explained, not essentially, right-triangular wedge-shaped strips, formed, for example, by diagonally cutting a rectangular board of dimensions too small for use in the formation of present-day heel blanks, and that would normally be wasted. The inner faces 13 and 11 of the respective auxiliary strips 7 and 9 are substantially planar to correspond to the planar side walls 3 and 5 of the main stn'p 1. The upper faces 17 and 15 of the respective auxiliary strips 7 and 9 are also substantially planar to correspond to the substantially planar upper face 2 of the main strip 1. The remaining faces 21 and 19 of the auxiliary strips 7 and 9 constitute the hypotenuse walls of the auxiliary strips. Glue 23, or any other suitable adhesive, is applied to the inner faces 13 and 11 of the auxiliary strips 7 and 9, Fig. 2, and to preselected portions of the side walls 3 and 5 of the main strip 1, as by a brush 8. The auxiliary strips 7 and 9 may then be clamped between a stationary vice jaw 6, Fig. 3, and a movable jaw 4, having clarnping surfaces corresponding to the shape of the auxiliary strips 7 and 9, to secure the auXiliary-strip inner faces 13 and 11 to preselected upper portions or parts of the oppositely disposed side walls 3 and 5 of the main strip 1, with the upper planar faces 17 and 15 of the auxili iary strips 7 and 9 lying substantially in the plane of the upper face 2 of the main strip 1 and the hypotenuse walls 21 and 19 inclining or tapering toward the main strip, meeting the same along the edge 25, Fig. 3. The resulting welded laminated strip-assembly 1-7-9 is thus wider at the upper face 2 17-15 than at the intermediate region of the Walls 3 and 5 below the edge 25 of the auxiliary strips 7 and 9. In general, the direction of the grain of the auxiliary wood strips 7 and 9 Will differ from that of the main strip, imparting increased strength to the laminated assembly. While the welding or gluing of the auxiliary strips 7 and 9 has been described, for purposes of illustration, as efiected by the brush application of glue and with the aid of a vice-clamping apparatus, it is to be understood that other well-known laminating processes and apparatns may be utilized to achieve the desired result.

The welded laminated strips 1-7-9 may then be transversely cut into laminated Wood-heel blanks, as by placng them upon a periodically tiltable table 27, Fig. 4, similar to that described in the said Letters Patent, the original position of which is shown in solid lines, and the tilted position at 27' in dotted lines. A saw 29 cuts the laminated-strip assembly 1-7-9 tran-sversely at successive regions, first along an incline 31, when the table 27 is in its solid-line position; next, along a difierently inclined angle 33 when the table is inclined to the position 27'; then, along the incline 31 parallel to the first-mentioned inclined cut 31; then, along the incline 33 parallel to the first-mentioned inclined cut 33; and so on, as the table 27 is tilted back and forth between the solid and dotted line positions. Similarly shaped Wood' heel blanks 10 substantially trapezoidal in longitudinal cross-section and Y- shaped in transverse cross-section will thus be formed. `While;intermediate wedges 12 between adjacent cuts 31 and`33 may be Wasted in such an operation, it has'been found. that such waste ismore than compensated for in the Vsaving eflected by Vthe use, ofthe blanks 10 of Pig. 4,'as later discussed.

The laminated Wood-heel blanks 10 may then be placed within trays 35, Pig. 5, and Within a kiin 37. Steam beat, produced as'by a hot water pipe'or pipes 39 at the bottom of the kiln 37, rises through the kiln and passes out through upper ports 38, drying the blanks 10. Other cur'ing or (trying methods may, of course, be used, in-

cluding chemical drying With'alcohol, formaldehyde, chlorethelene and other chemicals, or natural seasoning, but

kiln-drying speeds up production. The drying may be etfected prior to Cutting into blanks and the laminated strips may be varnished or covered With paraffin to prevent end bleeding. The kln-dried laminated Wood-heel blanks 13 are now ready for Shaping into Wood heels.

in Fig. 6, the blank E is shown held by a breast gauge 41 and turned as it is rotated With respect to a rotarycutter 43, as described, for example, in United States Letters Patent 2,038,534, issued April 28, 1936, to D. S. Bray. The tumed convex portion of the heel, Fig. 9, then eX- tends from the rear face of the main wood strip portion 1 of the heel blank 1d, symmetrically forward along the rearV and outer side faces of the auxiliary Wood strip portons 9 and 7 of the heel blank. The turned blank may then be clamped as at 45, Fig. 7, and breasted'by a breasting cutter 47. The breast concavity so formed'will extend from Within the front face of the main Wood strip portion 1 of the heel, Fig. 9, symmetrically forward on both sides'of the main Wood strip portion into the'front face portions of the auxiliary strips 9 and 7. A cutter 49, Fig. 3. may then providethe heel-seat concavity, as described for example, in United States Letters Patent 2,065,645, issued December 29, 1936, to W. C. Brooks et al., the concavity extending from within the upper face 2 of the main strip portionil of the heel, Fig. V9, symmetrically upward on both sides of the manstrip portion into the upper faces 17 and of the auxiliary strip portio'ns 7 and 9 of the heel blank.

As is evident from Figs. 6 to 9, much less Wood is wasted in turning and forrning the heel of the present invention from the Y-shaped blanks 10 than is the case where the heel blank is of substantially uniform width throughout. The auxiliary strips 7 and 9, moreover, may be formed from narroW strips of lumber that are today wasted or sold as scrap since they are not of sufficient dimensions to be used for making present-day heel blanks. The heel of the present invention, furthermore, is much Stronger than present-day heels formed from solid'pieces of lumber in view of the added strength imparted by Vthe laminated structure and the before-mentioned crossgraining of the strips.

As before indicated, it is not necessary that the auxiliary strips 7 and 9 be of right-triangular wedge-shaped nature, though this deemed preferable for many' applitions of the invention. In Fig. 12, for example, the main strip portion 1 of a heel blank, constructed in accordance with the invention,VV is shown provided with L-shaped recesses M within which substantally trapezoidal auxiliary strips 7 and 9 may be seated With the narrower portions of the auxiliary strips secured to the bottom ledge of the L-shaped recesses` 14 sro that the heel blank is wider at its Vupper end than at an intermediate region of the blank. In Fig. l', as another illustration, a single auxiliary strip fi of width greater than that of the main strip 1 is secured to the upper face of the'main strip 1, ,extending transvcrsely preferably Vsyrrnnetri:ally beyond the opposite walls 3jand 5 in the form of a T. 'The auxiliai'y trangular Wedges 7 and 9 are shown additonally provided in Fig.

ananasa 11 to Widen the blank near its intermediate portions. In

the heei VVformed from the blanks ofV Figs. IVO and 1I, the

heel-seat concavity Will exte`ud from a centrally disposed region of the auxiliary strip 16 symmetrically upward on both sides thereof.

if it is desired to eliminate the waste of the beforementioned wedge-shapedmembers 12, Fig. 4, additional auxiliary strips ,7' and9' may be secured,'as previously described, near theV bottom face of the main strip 1 to provide the preferably symmetrical X-shaped laminated strip-assembly of Fig'. 13. In fabricating long Vlengths of laminated strips, finger joints 18 may be utilized to secure successiveseetions 'of main strips 1, while successive lengths of the thinner auxiliary strips 7, 9, 7', 9' may be secured by inclined abutting joints 20.V When such a lamnated assembly is placed upon a vertically tiltable table 27 and cut at successively different nclines of the table, as shown at 2.7and 27', Fig. 14, there areV no intermediate wedges wasted, such as the wedges 12 of Fig. 4. This is because the top of one heel blank and the bottom of the adjacent :heel hlankmay be used as the heel seat, which was not VPQSsble with the unsymmetrical laminated arrangement. of Fig., 4.

While the above-descrihed heel blanks and heels are primarily useful 'and most .advantageous Vinconnection with Wood, they vare not restricted thereto, and other materials may, if.desired,.be employed.

Furthcr modifications Will occur to those skilled inthc at and all ,such are vconsidered to. fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A vlan'iinated Wood-heel blank constituted'of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite Walls to which, near at least one of a pair of opposite faces of the main strip between the said Walls, auxiliary'wood strips are secured, the ,heel-seat face Vand the tread face of the lamnated Wood-heel blank being disposed in lsub-V stantially parallel planes ,substantiallyorthogonal to the said walls, and the'breast face and the rear face of the laminated Wood-heel blank inclining transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank between the heel-seat face and the tread face. w

2. A Iaminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudinai cross-section constituted of a main Wood .strip having substantially parallel opposite walls to which, near one face only o f the main strip between the said walls, auxiliary Wood strips are secured toprovidegreater width at the said one face than at the opposite face of the main strip between the said walls, the heel-.seat face and the tread `face vof the laminated Wood-.heel blank being disposedlin substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said walls, and the breast face and the rear face of the laminated wood-heelxblank inclining toward each other transversely o f the ;Iarninated Wood-heel blank from the heel-seatface. toward the tread face.

3. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidalin longitudinal cross-section constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially.parallel oppositewalls to which,fnear each of the opposite faces of the main strip between the said walls, a. .pair of auxiliary strips is secured, the heelseat face and the Vtreadface `of the laminated Wood-heel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes'substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face and therear face of the lamnated Wood-heel blank inclining toward each other transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blankfrom the heel-seat face toward the tread face.

4. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudnal .cross-section constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite walls to -Which,`ner both of a pair O fcppifefas `of the main Ship between the said walls, auxiliary wood strips are securedtoprovide' greater width ,at both. faces than at an intermediate region of the main strip, whereby the laminated wooiheelV blank is substantially symmetrical with respect to the said intermediate region, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Wood-heel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face and the rear face of the laminated Wood-heel blank inclining toward each other transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank from the heel-seat face toWard the tread face.

5. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudinal cross-section constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite Walls to which, near both of a pair of opposite faces of the main strip between the said Walls, substantially right-triangular wedgeshaped auxiliary strips are secured with the hypotenuse Walls of the auxiliary strips inclining toWard an intermediate region of the main strip to provide greater width at both faces than at the said intermediate region of the main strip, Whereby the laminated Wood-heel blank is substantially symmetrical With respect to the said intermediate region, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Wood-heel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face and the rear face of the laminated Woodheel blank inclining toward each other transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank from the heel-seat face toWard the tread face.

6. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a main Wood strip extending from the tread face to the heel-seat face of the Wood heel and to opposite Walls of which, near at least the heel-seat face, auxiliary Wood strips are secured, the auxiliary Wood strips being disposed symmetrically of the heel With respect to the main Wood strip and extending longitudinally of the heel between the breast and the oppositely disposed face of the heel, and the concavity in the heel seat extending from within the main Wood strip symmetrically upward on both sides of the main Wood strip into the auxiliary Wood strips.

7. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a main Wood strip extending from the tread face to the heel-seat face of the Wood heel and to opposite Walls of Which, near the heel-seat face, auxiliary Wood strips are secured, the main Wood strip and the auxiliary Wood strips having interlocking ledges, the auxiliary Wood strips being disposed symmetrically of the heel With respect to the main Wood strip and extending longitudinally of the heel between the breast and the oppostely disposed face of the heel, and the concavity in the heel seat extending from Within the main Wood strip symmetrically upWard on both sides of the main Wood strip into the auxiliary Wood strips.

8. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a main Wood stn'p extending from the tread face to the heel-seat face of the Wood heel and to opposite sides of which near at least the heel-seat face, auxiliary Wood strips are secured, the breast concavity extending from within the front face of the main Wood strip symmetrically forward on both sides of the main Wood strip into the front faces of the auxiliary Wood strips, the turned convex portion of the heel extending from the rear face of the main Wood strip symmetrically forward along the rear and outer side faces of the auxiliary Wood strips, and the concavity in the heel seat extending from Within the upper face of the main Wood strip symmetrically upward on both sides of the main Wood strip into the upper faces of the auxiliary Wood strips.

9. A laminated Wood-heel blank constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite Walls and a pair of opposite faces between the said Walls, auxiliary Wood-strip means secured to the main strip near at least one of the said faces thereof to provide greater width at the said one face than at an intermediate region of the main strip, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Wood-heel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face and the rear face of the 6 laminated Wood-heel blank inclining transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank between the heel-seat face and the tread face.

10. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudinal cross-section and T-shaped in transverse crosssection constituted of a main Wood strip having substantally parallel opposite walls and a pair of opposite faces between the said Walls, an auxiliary Wood strip of greater Width than the main Wood strip secured to one of the said faces and extending transversely beyond the said Walls to provide greater width at the said one face than at the opposite face of the main strip between the said Walls, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Woodheel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast faceand the rear face of the laminated Wood-heel blank inclining toWard each other transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank from the heel-seat face toward the tread face.

ll. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudinal cross-section constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite Walls and a pair of opposite faces between the said Walls, substantially righttriangular Wedge-shaped auxiliary strips secured to the said Walls near one of the said faces With the hypotenuse Walls of the auxiliary strips inclining toward an intermediate region of the main strip, a further auxiliary strip of Width greater than the width of the secured main and wedge-shaped auxiliary strips secured to the said one face and extending transversely beyond the said Wedge-shaped auxiliary strips to provide greater width at the said one face than at the opposite face of the main strip between the said Walls, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Wood-heel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantially orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face and the rear face of the laminated Wood-heel blank inclining toWard each other transversely of the laminated Wood-heel blank from the heelseat face toward the tread face.

12. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a centrally disposed main strip and auxiliary Wood strips extending from the tread face toWard' the heel-seat face of the Wood heel and secured together near the heel-seat face With auxiliary Wood-strip portions disposed symmetrically of the heel With respect to the main Wood strip and extending longitudinally of the heel in the direction between the breast and the oppositely disposed face of the heel.

13. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a main Wood strip to the upper face of which an auxiliary Wood strip of greater width is secured symmetrically of the heel With respect to the main strip and extending longitudinally of the heel between the breast and the oppositely disposed face of the heel, and the concavity in the heel seat extending from a centrally disposed region Within the auxiliary Wood strip symmetrically upward on both sides thereof.

14. A laminated Wood heel constituted of a main Wood strip to opposite Walls of which, near the heel-seat face a pair of auxiliary Wood strips are secured, the auxiliary Wood strips being disposed symmetrically of the heel With respect to the main Wood strip and extending longitudinally of the heel between the breast and the oppositely disposed face of the heel, a further auxiliary Wood strip secured to the upper faces of the pair of auxiliary Wood strips and the main Wood strip, and the concavity in the heel seat extending from a centrally disposed region Within the further auxiliary Wood strip symmetrically upward on both sides thereof.

15. A laminated Wood-heel blank trapezoidal in longitudinal cross-section constituted of a main Wood strip having substantially parallel opposite Walls to which, near at least one of the opposite faces of the main strip between the said Walls, a pair of auxiliary strips is secured, the heel-seat face and the tread face of the laminated Woodheel blank being disposed in substantially parallel planes substantally orthogonal to the said Walls, and the breast face andztherear'face of 'the lamfnated'fwoo-helfblank inelinng' toward each 'other transversely'of'the'lamnated woed-heel blank from the heelseat face toward the'trea'd face.

'16A A-laminated-Wood-heel blank'constituted of a-main weod strip ;having 'substantially' parallel cpposite walls to which, near at least Vthe upper'face 'o'f the'main strip between 'the saidwalls,vauxilary-wookl strps are secured, the'rheel-seat face and'thetread "face of the laminate'd Weod-hee] Blank being dsposed inisubtantialy-parallel planes substantiaIly-orthogonal to the-said walls, and the breas; face vand the real' face of thelaminated Wood-heel hlank inclning transversely of the 'laminated Wood-heel blafik between the Iheel-'seat face and the tread fface.

17. Arlaminated Wood-heel blankcensttuted of a main *Need-strip having Vsulz'stzmtallyparallel opposite walls to which, near each oft he oposite facest'elftthe main strih':

between thefsad'walls, auxliary'wcodjstps are secured, the heel-seat .facefand the tread 'face of `the laminated wood-heel blank being 'disposed in substantiallyparallel planessubstantially orthogonal to=thers aid walls,ad the 'Breast face'an'd'-fthe`V rearface of the laminated'vyood-heel blank nclnng'transversely'of the laminated Wood-heel blank between the heel-seat face -and'the treadrface References Cited in the fileof thistpatent UNITED 'STATES PATENTS 1,677,822 

